Top 10 Online Shopping Sites

The most popular online shopping sites in the world now!

1. Amazon.com

Amazon

First and foremost, Amazon is the single most popular online shopping site in the world. Nobody comes close to this e-commerce giant. The amount of notoriety and convenience that Amazon provides is known more and more originally in the USA as well around the world.

In general, Amazon is an easily accessible site that is customised for each country separately. For example, wherever you are you can access amazon. So, from Amazon Germany to Amazon Australia, everything is available for the consumer. In fact, Amazon is the powerhouse for online shopping overall.

The reliability of Amazon is also a strong positive for anyone feeling wary of online shopping. In general, Amazon has been wonderful when it comes to working with smaller sellers to big and well known brands online.

PositivesNegatives
  • Fast service and well serviced
  • Less Shipping Fees
  • Free Shipping requires monthly premium fees or a high minimum
  • Amazon mobile version is not as user friendly

2. Ebay.com

Ebay

Ebay has a lot of history. In comparison, Ebay started in 1995 and has a longer history that is linked to sellers and buyers. Ebay is a wonderful place for selling and buying, but this multipurpose function does confuse users.

In terms of buying though it is recommended to use a computer to fully visualize the site and options. You are also able to bid or buy on Ebay. You can either place your bid on Ebay or utilize the function to “Buy It Now” on Ebay. Bidding on Ebay makes this a very unique way to buy. However, you have the option to buy immediately as well.

All in all, Ebay has a lot of valuable qualities, but it does have site functionality issues. When you are using Ebay on an app expect some issues with being able to use the whole site with your phone.

PositivesNegatives
  • Great for sellers and buyers
  • You can can bid on an item on Ebay
  • Not user friendly on the phone app
  • Difficult to assess condition of some items being bought

3. Etsy.com

Etsy

This is a company that only began in 2005, but has grown gradually over the years. Etsy is based in New York and more popular in the USA, but it does do international shipping.

Etsy, as an online shopping store, focuses on offering different vintage and thrift, handmade and factory-manufactured items or products. This is the main focus of Etsay compared to Amazon, which carries most anything so not specific to small time sellers.

Overall, this online store is perfect for clothing, jewelry, art, and more. Also, there is a collaborative community on Etsy so expect more communication from sellers and buyers alike. Another great feature is that you are able to check the top picks and selections that are picked by other Etsy members, who may be buyers or sellers.

PositivesNegatives
  • Friendly artistic community interactions and encouragement
  • Ideal for unique made items from United States
  • Nonprofessional or inexperienced shop owners
  • Customer resolution department is limited with contact

4. Target.com

Target

Target is a surprising option but it is growing overall in the marketplace. What was at once a massive physical store now offers a wide selection of products online.

This is a store that is now increasing its scope beyond North America. All in all, Target offers good deals for home products and furniture. Therefore, if you’re looking for good web deals then Target does offer a lot. Everyday essentials like toiletries and foods is an increasing benefit for Target. Target offers everything including clothing to groceries. Target is strong with homeware and garden furniture at a reasonable price.

PositivesNegatives
  • Offers Free shipping when you spend $35 or more
  • Free returns so this makes for a positive shopping experience
  • Target has issues with orders and often will cancel orders placed
  • Not the most user friendly site for shopping

5. Alibaba.com

Alibaba

Alibaba is now one of the biggest e-commerce sites in the world. Alibaba is based in China, and is growing by leaps and bounds around the world, not just in Asia. The suppliers range in quality but offer a lot of value in terms of pricing and options.

The history of Alibaba is quite extensive. The company was founded by Jack Ma, a Chinese entrepreneur, in 1999. All in all, overseas and foreign sourcing costs less and is more economical than domestic sourcing for Alibaba.

Beware of any quality control issues because Alibaba has had issues on the customer review satisfaction side. For various customers, it is quite clear that Alibaba is mostly on the seller’s side. When you are buying expect a quick process with a streamlined process compared to other online shopping sites.

PositivesNegatives
  • Economic and budget options are more commonly found on Alibaba
  • Very popular across the world for value
  • Customer reviews can be up and down and may reduce consumer confidence
  • Seller quality issues

6. Rakuten.com

Rakuten

Rakuten is a Japanese online site. The site was bought in 2010, and is now headquartered in California. Rakuten is one of the largest online shopping sites in Asia. There are over 100 million members on Rakuten that are in various parts of the world from Asia to the Americas, Europe, and more.

Formerly, Rakuten specialized  in selling electronics, books, software, and games. However, today Rakuten is a top seller for electronics as well as a lot of household items, products, and services. Rakuten is a little different from the others because it is quality focused and personalized for the customer.

As good as some perks are for Rakuten though, the offers take some time to process. Moreover, the history and longevity of this company date to the mid 1990s. Rakuten has a base of over 10 million customers, and the company is among the top five to six online shopping sites in the world.

PositivesNegatives
  • Rakuten offers cashback offers
  • Bonus Options for anyone who wants to shop long term
  • Some types of debit or credit cards can not be connected to accounts.
  • Bonus and Cashback disbursements only happen 4 times a year.

7. Taobao.com

Taobao

Taobao shopping offers a wide range of goods and extra convenience. Based in China, this e-commerce site offers many products at very competitive and affordable prices.

Taobao in Chinese actually means “searching for treasure networks.” Taobao offers users a great experience to get very low prices, which is due to the amount of sellers on their site. Secondly, Taobao has a wide variety of buying options. Moreover, unique and odd items are available, which is a benefit for anyone shopping on this site.

Lastly, don’t expect any fees for buying, which makes this site very attractive. However, expect some issues with refunds or customer issues. Some sellers include free gifts to incentivize buyers unlike other online shopping sites.

PositivesNegatives
  • No Third party fees so you pay exactly for what you are buying.
  • Sellers on Taobao try to make things attractive for buyers by offering free gifts
  • Difficulty with refunds or exchanges overall
  • No issuance of repacking from Taobao on deliveries or return

8. Craigslist

Craigslist

Craigslist is a unique site that offers a lot of possibilities from almost anyone. However, when you are buying on Craigslist you need to be aware of scammers.

You can easily make a sale and pick up your products locally. Craigslist is a unique worldwide alternative for buying products. The ability to pick up products means fast and convenient.

In various instances, it may be best to use cash for a Craigslist sale. The advantage of this method is that you would not have any issue of someone stealing information, whether as a seller or buyer. 

PositivesNegatives
  • Easy to pick up products quickly
  • Able to negotiate prices
  • Scams are more common than usual
  • Not as secure for non-cash payments

9. Walmart.com

Walmart

One of the largest e-retailers in the USA. This is a site offering many household items as well as grocery items. Also, Walmart is first in raking in massive profits from all of its customers.

All in all, Walmart ranks high among store sites in the USA. Expect more benefits if you sign up for the benefits or frequent buyer programs. Unfortunately, there have been issues reported in relation to customer service issues with Walmart.

In general, there are a lot of perks thrown in like cashback offers, bonus options, and of course free shipping. This offsets the higher than average pricing.

PositivesNegatives
  • Cashback offers for advantages
  • Reliable customer service
  • Strict price requirements so not much price savings

10. Wish.com

Wish

Wish is fairly cheap for pricing of products. As well,  this is a site that relies on customer feedback for satisfaction and guarantee of quality.  Lastly, expect great deals and interactions from sellers to buy and save. So, expect a deal but it comes with a price.

The quality of items has been questioned on Wish.com but the prices are not to be beat. You have lots of items and some offer fast delivery while others have lagging service overall. This is a site that is increasing in popularity quickly.

PositivesNegatives
  • Cheap prices and various options
  • Some product descriptions and photos are not accurate
  • Sizing of clothing may be off

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